Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-03-04

7 gazed silently at her. Certainly
she was very lovely. "You are in my
my power,' she said at last, II love to
have people in my power and" here
she looked curiously threatening I
love you'll ~ +
"Then let me 60. I shall go mad if
I am kept here while she is in danger.
Forgive me!' for she looked panied,
and flushed a deepred for a moment, Il
am in your power in way, but I did
not wish you to put yourself in mine. I
will forget all if you will set me free
"You shall 60 free," she laughed,
quite changed again; ''butyou won't find
her, if by 'her' youmean my cousin; and
if you do, it won't be much satisfaction,
for Herr Plowitz will not approve of gen
tlemen, even blind ones, dangling round
his wife, 49,.
'.When shall be free?
"To-morrow morning."
''You promise?'
II promise. There is no great reason
why I should consult your wishes, but
you shall 60 tomorrow.
And with that she turned and went
away, pale again and majestic as a
Grecian statue.
Tomorrow! I felt that if it depended
on the Basilisk should never be free
again. I should never leave Hanover
Lodge alive. had read that in her
face, in her tones, when I had disregard
ed her avowal of passion.
speedily set to work and liberated
my other arm, and speedily cast off the
bonds from my feet, and stood free, as
far as my limbs were concerned, upon
the floor of the room.
To the window! It was nigh in the
wall, but easy enough to get up to, even
without the chair which, in my cramped
condition, I had recourse to. By the
fitful light of the moon which showed
uncertain intervals as the clouds
slowly travelled along the sky, l could
see that was at height of about fifty
feet from the ground. Just round one
corner of the tower I could see a thick
growth of ivy, but it was quite out of
my reach; and even if could reach it, I
could not dare to trust my weight to it,
running the risk of tearing a mass of it,
from its uncertain hold on the wall, and
falling, stunned and helpless, a prey to
my enemies at its foot. There was no
time to be lost, however. The
cords with which I had been bound,
no use. They were of no
appreciate length for such a distance
as had to descend. The bedclothes
held out better hope. With the help
of small pocket-knife I managed with
much trouble to tear the bedding into
broad strips-ample for my purpose
and with feverish haste, yet very heed
fully, as one who knew that not his own
life only but the safety of another
rested, perhaps, in every knot.
I made long rope and fastened one
end of it securely to the iron bedstead.
I tugged at it, and tried it with might
and main, Every length stood the ut
most test I could impose upon it.
Then I lowered it carefully out of the
window. There was no key in the in
side of the door, but piled across it
such articles of furniture as / could
move without making much noise; and,
having constructed a pretty substantial
barricade, I mounted the window-sill,
and prepared to trust myself to the
rope that l had made. 1t is a simple mat
ter to read about, and I had often taken it,
in stories, as a simple matter Of course,
that escapingsby means ofa rope of
bedding was as easy as any other form
of exit. But when with muscles
which had had no exercise for long
period l grasped the homely ladder and
glanced from the solid safety of the dark
room to the whispering abyss below,
which the tlimsy-looking rope pierced for
some distance like a Pickering light,
I felt a strange reluctance to commit
myself to the work of my hands. There
was no time for hesitation, however,
the thought of Mary in the power Of
Plowitz banished all my momentary
fears, and with q firm clasp of the
blanket I let my feet 60, seeking the
foot-hold Of the nearest knot. Once
under weigh, it seemed safe and simple
enough, but ere I had got two of my
own lengths down the rope, ! heard the
click Of the lock above, the jar Of the
door sharply opened, and the crash OF
the falling furniture, Speeding my
descent too much, 7 miscalculated the
length Of the drop, and, letting 60 too
soon, fell heavily considerable dis
lance to the ground. AS ! picked my
,,elf IN, shaken and bruised, I heard